The Premier told a town hall-style meeting that proposed tax changes were designed to benefit the least well-off in Bermuda.

He said: “The report on the tax commission has been submitted and I think the most important basis of that is that those persons who can afford to pay more, should be the ones who are paying more.

“We are trying to ensure that we can provide relief to those at the lowest end of the spectrum.

“That report that has been tabled will be debated in Parliament and the recommendations will be put forward in the Budget statement.”

Mr Burt was speaking at a meeting on Tuesday at the Berkeley Institute.

He was joined on a panel by Kim Wilson, the health minister, Diallo Rabain, the education minister, and Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the public works minister, who each gave brief presentations on their ministries.

Mr Burt also discussed other Throne Speech themes, including pay equity, a living wage and immigration.

He told an audience of about 25, that included some MPs and senators, that changes to the tax system were a major theme of the Throne Speech.

Mr Burt highlighted measures such as the elimination of payroll tax on earnings of less than $48,000 a year and fairer social insurance as ways to help level the playing field.

He said: “We have a system where a CEO who makes $4,000 a day pays the exact same social insurance contributions as someone who is paid $4,000 a month. We are going to change that.”

Mr Burt added that immigration was not “about needing more people living in Bermuda, the issue is that we need more jobs in Bermuda to support Bermudians and others inside of our economy and that is what the Government is focused on”.